A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) generally includes an internal combustion engine and an electric motor that cooperate with one another to propel the vehicle. Depending on the particular hybrid architecture, the hybrid electric vehicle may use a high voltage battery or a low voltage battery (e.g., a conventional 12 V battery) to start the vehicle.
If the battery that starts the hybrid electric vehicle deteriorates and its charge level falls below a certain threshold, for example, it may not be able to start the vehicle. This can be particularly troublesome for non-plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that do not have access to an electrical outlet, for example.